Solo Travel For South East Asia Women

Hi Strangers!

Today post will be about Stereotype on South Asian Female Travelers - something i feel so strong about. When i said "South Asia", it doesn't mean all Asian women experience the same thing. These are just something i found very common. So how the society look at female travelers? "They are wild and out of control!"

Girls aren't supposed to travel

Traditional Asian Girls tend to be gentle, modest, girly and sustained people.When a girl decides to go travel (especially alone), no one would think she is brave or admirable. They only think her family havn't taught her about how to be a girl. These thoughts started from the idea that girls shouldn't study too much. All they should do is staying at home, taking care of family and doing housework. Going out and exploring are men's jobs. Girls breaking these rules will find it hard to get married, because men dont want who are smarter than them.

Women go solo travel = Single and lonely life

South Asian female traveler, especially solo, is considered as a proof of her "loneliness". If her passion is travel, that means no man would like her and she may live a single life. Since female travelers tend to have a strong personality, this means they break the rule or definition of being a truly "Asian girl".

Women are hopeless when they are alone

I still remember when I ask a girl in the countryside of Vietnam about the idea of travelling, she just told me that would be something out of her mind. Suddenly, I heard a man saying: "she's way too dumb to do something on her own".

So pretty much, the society considers woman are born to get married and give birth. If they can't do any of these, they would go and travel. Even they decide to travel, they will get lost or be kidnapped. The more I talk to people, the more I feel sad for them. I'm sad for the fact that they can't do anything to avoid those stereotypes or even speak up to protect themselves. They are trapped in the situation they are living in.

However, it is not that sad sad compared to 5 years ago. When i got back to Vietnam, I was surprised to see many young girls who are willing to conquer those craggy mountains. Their answer for the question "Why you do that?" were: "I'm still young and there are so many thing i want to know and explore". Despite a lot of people who are the victims of those stereotypes, this young generations are the sparks of those possible change for how people would accept South Asian Female travelers or even if noone accepts it, just go travel because:

"IT IS YOUR LIFE IN THE END! IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER HAD, THEN YOU'VE GOT TO DO WHAT YOU'VE NEVER DONE"

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Giang Ha Phan | @giangy_phan

Graduated from Swinburne Univeristy of Technology (melb) and Northeastern University (Boston) who loves to travel, photography and passionate about education. She believes South East Asia women who are brave enough to travel and study abroad in foreign country should accept medals of bravery. In Most cases, they are new to the languange, local cultures, and do not know anyone except them self. During the time she study abroad, she did solo travel to Japan, prepare everything by herself and it was a journey that changed her life. Currently, she is working in Travel Education in Hanoi Vietnam. On her free time, she is happy to take your around when you come to visit. Cheers!